The Galaxy S25 series featured Google Gemini as the default voice assistant, replacing Samsung’s Bixby for the role on its flagship phones. Although Samsung announced some improvements related to Bixby at the time, the updates went largely unnoticed, contributing to the belief that the company was scaling back its development of the assistant.
New reporting by SamMobile indicates that Samsung is continuing its work on Bixby. The publication uncovered a redesigned on-screen overlay for the assistant, with visuals of the new pop-up in both light and dark themes appearing via SammyGuru. The updated Bixby pop-up’s design is consistent with elements shown in previous One UI 8.5 leaks. The new look also has a resemblance to the software’s updated Quick Settings panel and the on-screen overlay used by Google Gemini.
While the leak reveals visual changes, it does not offer information on whether the One UI 8.5 refresh will include performance upgrades for Bixby. A report from SammyGuru last month detailed improved integration for both Bixby and Gemini with the Modes and Routines feature, but other potential enhancements remain unknown. Bixby is generally regarded as proficient for on-device tasks, whereas Google Gemini is considered to have an advantage in handling functions that require an internet connection.
With the Galaxy S25 series and newer models, Gemini integrates directly with core applications like Calendar, Reminders, and Notes. Further details on Samsung’s strategy for Bixby are expected to become available when the first beta for One UI 8.5 is released. Samsung has not confirmed a release date for the beta program, but a recent leak suggested that Galaxy device owners may be able to access it by the end of November.
This timeline would allow the company to resolve software issues before the official launch of One UI 8.5, which is expected to debut with the Galaxy S26 series early next year. Following its launch, the stable version of the One UI 8.5 update is expected to be released for the current range of Galaxy flagships, including the Galaxy S25 trio and the latest foldable devices.
